Fiber 8/16

• raw materials, either natural or synthetic that produce yarns and fabrics

• No perfect fiber that will adequately serve every general design purpose exists.

• Each fiber has its own advantages and disadvantages

• Basic building block of fabric

Yarn 8/17

• Fibers that are twisted or assembled together to form a continuous strand that can be made into a textile fabric.

• are made by spinning various lengths of fibers into strands

• High twist produces strength and durability but takes away some luster

• Little twist maintains a high luster but looses much stability

FABRIC 8/18• Result of the weaving,

knitting, twisting, felting, or lacing of fibers and yarns

• Even when the same weave or knit construction is used, the end product will be distinctive if the fiber or yarn type is varied

Yarns into Textile Fabrics 8/19

• Can be accomplished by an individual with a pair of knitting needles, a crochet hook, or a hand loom

• Use of powerful machines that combine yarns by weaving, knitting, or stitch bonding

Warp 8/22

• Warp- in weaving, the yarns placed on the loom first. They run lengthwise on the fabric.

• Weft or filling yarns are woven over and under the warp yarns.

WEFT 8/23

• Weft- The crosswise filling yarns that are interwoven with the lengthwise warp yarns to make a fabric.

Warp and Weft

Selvage 8/24

• Selvage- the woven edge of fabric, running parallel to the warp. The selvage keeps the textile from fraying. It is often used to identify the manufacturer or provide a color check.

Selvage

PLAIN WEAVE 8/26

• Plain Weave- The most used basic weave. Each filling yarn alternates crossing over and under each warp yarn. Like a window screen or a tennis racket.

TWILL WEAVE 8/29

• Twill Weave- One of three basic weaves. Recognized by the diagonal “twill line” or “rib” visible in the finished fabric.

• Denim is an example of a twill weave

Basket Weave 8/30• Similar to Plain

Weave, but 2 weft threads are interlaced with two warp threads.

SATIN WEAVE 8/31

• The distance the yarn covers is called a “float.” Because of these long “floats” the satin weave is flat, smooth, and lustrous.

• Usually made of silk or man-made fibers that give a lustrous, shiny appearance.

• Because of the floats, the fabric often snags

Un-Cut Pile Weave 9/1

• Produced by additional threads in the weft and warp that form loops or tufts of yarn that stand out form the surface of the fabric.

Terry cloth

Terry cloth 9/2

• A slack-tension, warp-yarn pile fabric with loops on one of both sides of the fabric. Two sets of warps and one set of filling yarns are used. It may have a jacquard pattern.

9/6 Microban®

• antimicrobial protection (microbes can double in number every 20 minutes)

• built-in to products during the manufacturing process to provide continuous antimicrobial protection

• fights the growth of odor causing bacteria, mold and mildew to keep fabrics cleaner and fresher for the useful life of the fabric

9/12 VELCRO® • brand name of fabric

hook-and-loop fasteners which have been used for 50 years

• consists of two layers: a "hook" side, which is a piece of fabric covered with tiny hooks, and a "loop" side, which is covered with even smaller and "hairier"

loops. X 20 magnification

Cut-Pile Weave 9/13

• 3 dimensional structure made by weaving an extra set of warp or filling yarns with the ground yarns so that cut yarn loops create a pile

Velvet

9/14 Natural Fibers

• Found in nature and require little or no processing to be used.

• Made from plant and animal sources

• Cellulosic - plant

• Protein- animal

• mineral

9-15 cellulosic

Plant fibers include

stems, leaves, and seed hairs found in plant

Cotton

Flax -Linen

Jute Ramie Jute

flax

Protein 9-16

• Wool

• silk

Protein Fibers 9/16

• Are of animal origin• Wool and specialty

wools are the hair and fur of animals

• Silk is the secretion of the silk caterpillar

• Are luxury fibers today

Protein Fibers 9/16

Wool

• Animal hair fibers – sheep’s wool

• Alpaca, camel, cashmere goat, llama, vicuna, guanaco, and the angora goat (mohair), quivit (hair from musk ox), angora rabbit hair

• Used since 4th century BC• Used for clothing and some

household articles in early Egypt, Greece, Asia, an Middle East.

Silk

• Fiber formed from extruded filaments

• According to legend –discovered about 2540 B.C.

• Produced from the larvae of silkworms

• Known as sericulture-was kept secret for manyyears

Wool

ADVANTAGES• Resilient• Flame retardant• Resists abrasion

good insulator• Can be woven into a variety of

textures• Dyes well • Cleans well, resists dirt\• Absorbs up to 20% of its weight in

moisture without feeling damp• Doesn’t wrinkle easily

Disadvantages• Yellows with age• Shrinks• Can be damaged by

moths• Expensive• Requires

professional cleaning

• Can cause allergies• Weak, especially

when wet

Mineral Fibers 9/16

• Asbestos• Comes from deep in the earth’s

crust• Found in veins or cracks of

solid rock• Fibers are resistant to fire, heat,

and acid• Nonconductor of electricity –

was used in insulation• Is now banned in US because it

was found to cause cancer

Textiles 9/19

• We can learn about a population from what they wore just as we learn from the tools and other gear they used on a regular basis

• In many cultures the clothing worn was indicative of the social status achieved by various members of their society.

• People represent themselves through textiles – clothing, for example, says something about someone's personality.

Ancient Egyptian clothing-Linen

Cotton 9/20

• Believed to have been grown in India during the 4th century B.C.

• Used in early Rome

• Most plentiful of natural fibers

Cotton boll

seeds

Cotton Gin 9/21

• designed and constructed by Eli Whitney (Yale) in 1793

• machine that automated the separation of cottonseed from the short-staple cotton fiber (50 lbs. daily)

Cotton 9/22

Advantages

• Takes and holds color well

• Washes easily, easy care, comfortable

• Can be woven into sheer or heavy weight fabric

• Flexibility• Not damaged by sunlight

and most chemicals

Disadvantages

• Not as durable as other fibers

• Wrinkles easily• Can mildew and fade• Absorbs moisture easily• Cost varies according to

quality of fiber, weave, ad finish

Quality of Cotton Fiber 9/26

• Determined by 3 factors• Color of ginned cotton

(cotton fibers separated from cottonseed

1. Color ranges from white to yellow white

2. White, Light Spotted, Spotted Tinged, Yellow Stained

• Purity(absence of foreign matter) and quality of ginning process

• Length of fibers (inherited genetic characteristic of the seed variety) weather ,nutrient deficiencies and excessive cleaning may affect fiber length

• USDA rates cotton

Organic Cotton 9/27

• grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment

• Produced following state-fiber-certification standards where organic farming practices have been used for at least 3 years

• No synthetic commercial pesticides or fertilizers are used

• Twice as expensive as conventional cotton

• Additional costs related to lower fiber yield per acre, requirements for processing in facilities free of harmful chemicals and smaller quantities of fibers processed

• represents 0.76 percent of global cotton production. (2009)

ORGANIC COTTONSEED 9/28

• used for animal feed• Organic cottonseed

oil is used in a variety of food products, including cookies and chips.

EGYPTAIN COTTON 9/29• comes ONLY from Egypt

where the humid conditions and rich soil along the Nile River Valley create the perfect conditions to grow long cotton fibers

• falls under the classification of an ELS (extra-long staple) cotton

• Fiber staples can range from 1 1/2 inches to 2 1/4 inches. (about twice the size of other cotton fibers which allows fibers to be spun into very fine yarns

• Highest quality is a fabric count of 1000 to 1200

• Softer and more durable than other cotton

• American version of Egyptian cotton is known as Pima cotton. (Pima Indian Reservation in Arizona in early 1900’s to meet demand for quality long staple cotton

Egyptian cotton logo was trademarked in 2001

LINEN 9/30• Made from flax fibers (found in

the stem of the flax plant)• oldest of all fabric• evidence has been found in

Swiss lake dwellings dating from 8000 B.C.

• ancient Greece-evidence of a linen industry is shown on 4,000 year-old tablets

• Bast fiber – from the stem of the plant

• lightweight and breathable fabric

• More expensive than cotton

• since 1970, linen fabric production for apparel has increased from 5% to 70%.

• Today, Western Europe, Ireland in particular, dominates flax and linen production in both quantity and quality.

LINEN 9/31

Advantages

• Strong, especially when wet

• Comfortable, pliable, lustrous

• Not damaged by sunlight and chemicals

• Washable• Takes and holds color• Absorbent

Disadvantages

• Wrinkles easily if not chemically treated

• Fades• stiff• Difficult to clean• Absorbs moisture easily

Linen 10/2

• Flax fiber (found in stems)

• Swiss Lake dwelling in 8000 B.C.

• Linen industry - 4000 year old tablets

• Bast fiber from stem• Lightweight –more

expensive than cotton

• 1970 production increased from 5% to 70%

• Produced in Western Europe especially Ireland

RAMIE 10-4

• Also known as rhea, grasscloth, and China grass

• Been used for several thousand years in China

• A tall perennial plant that requires a hot, humid climate

• Fast growing and can be harvested every 60 days

• Has to be cut, not pulled• Has been grown in the

Everglades and Gulf Coast regions of US, but not currently

• Produced in China, Philippines and Brazil

Ramie 10-5

• bast fiber – part of a plant stem

• one of oldest textile fibers –used in mummy cloths in ancient Egypt during the period 5000-3000B.C.

• Very durable• long, fine fibers are

naturally white and lustrous with an almost silky appearance.

• requires chemical processing to de-gum the fiber.

• Blends are more common than pure ramie - most typical is 55 %ramie/45 % cotton

• Blends - available in woven and sweater knit form. (Cotton and wool)

RAMIE 10/6

Advantages

• High absorbency• Greater strength when

wet• holds shape well ,• Introduces a silky luster

to the fabric appearance

Disadvantages• possesses little elasticity and

is somewhat brittle and stiff which causes fiber breakage where creased or folded repeatedly

• Wrinkles easily• Will not dye as well as cotton

JUTE 10/7

• Used in Biblical times• 61% cellulose• One of cheapest

fibers• Grown throughout

Asia-chiefly India and Bangladesh

• Primary fibers are short and brittle

• One of weakest of the cellulosic fibers

• Creamy white to brown in color

• Used to produce coffee bags carpet backing, rope and twine

Manufactured/ Synthetic Fibers 10/10

• Originally designed to improve the quality, durability, and ease of care of fibers

• Designed to resist soil, mildew, and insects

• Made from substances such as wood pulp, petroleum, and coal

• Produced in labs through chemical processes

• Mimic natural fibers because they look, feel, and act like them

• Have many desirable characteristics: generally strong, have ability to spring back to their original shape, don’t wrinkle and are easy to care for

Synthetic Fiber Production 10/10• Made from chemicals

synthesized from petroleum by-products and other chemicals

• Chemists discovered that when a glass rod was pulled away from a chemical compound, it formed a fine filament that was strong, elastic, and flexible

• Are produced in similar way

• Thick syrupy liquid is forced through tiny holes in a spinneret

• Each tiny hole produces a fiber

• A spinneret can produce a few dozen fibers or as many as several thousands at a time

Manufactured and Synthetic Fibers

Can be engineered to enhance performance like:

• Fire resistance• Soil resistance• Bacterial resistance• Heat resistance

Examples:• Fibers for swimwear can

be produced so that they resist fading from sunlight, salt water or swimming pool water

• Fibers for bath towels can be produced to provide continuous antimicrobial protection

Manufactured/Synthetic Fibers 10/11

• During the past 5 decades, production and consumption has steadily increased

• Today over 80% of fibers used

• Comprise 75% of U.S. textile market

• Used for: Apparel• Furnishings• Medical applications• Construction• Transportation• Aerospace

applications• Environmental

applications

Manufactured regenerated fibers 10/12

• Produced from naturally occurring polymers (very large molecule made by connecting many small molecules)

• Polymers do not occur naturally as fibers and processing is needed to convert them into fiber form

• Starting material is cellulose and protein

• 3 regenerated cellulosic fibers : rayon, lyocell and acetate

Rayon 10/13• First commercially

successful manufactured regenerated fiber

• Cellulose fiber regenerated from wood pulp

• Production began around the beginning of 20th Century

• 1910

• Referred to as “Artificial Silk”

• Name RAYON was not officially adopted until 1924

• Called VISCOSE IN Europe

• Used in apparel- from lingerie to suits, dresses, and sportswear

• Often blended with polyester

Acetate 10/14

• Originated in Europe• Dreyfus brothers

experimented with acetate in Switzerland

• Brothers moved to England during WWI –acetate was used as a coating for the fabric wings of WWI airplanes

• After war-they perfected the process of making acetate fibers

• 1924 became the 2nd manufactured derivative cellulose fiber in U.S.

• Dry spun method-polymers are dissolved in a solvent of acetate to be formed into fibers

• First thermoplastic (heat-sensitive fiber)

• Fabric melts under a hot iron

Lyocell 10/17

• Developed by Courtlands, a European fiber manufacturer

• Introduced in early 1990’s as a type of Rayon-1992

• Development was prompted by a concern about Rayon’s negative impact on the environment

• First produced under brand name Tencel

• Solvent spinning – cellulosic starting material (wood pulp) is directly dissolved in an organic solvent- fiber is regenerated from that solvent

• Produced in both Europe and U.S.

• Properties are more like cotton than any other regenerated fiber

• Synthetic fiber• Developed in the 1940’s• Both dry and wet spinning

methods are used• Have been called the “warmth

without weight”• Wet spun fibers can have

cross-sections varying from round to bean shape

• Dry spun methods have a dog-bone shape

• Fibers are soft, warm, lightweight and resilient

ACRYLIC 10/18• Fabricated into woven and

knitted fabric construction• Often blended with other fibers

especially wool• Good fiber for sweaters, suits,

coats, and socks• Superior to wool in their easy-

care properties and are nonallergenic

• Declined from 15% to 5% of world fiber production

• Manufacturing has moved from U.S and Europe to China, Taiwan, and India

ACRYLIC 10-19

Advantages Disadvantages

• Shrink when exposed to high temperatures

• Will “pill”• Low moisture absorbency• Generate static electricity

• Resist wrinkling during use and care

• Mildew, microorganisms, and moths will not harm acrylic

• Lower cost competitor for wool

• Resistant to sunlight –superior to polyester and nylon

Nylon 10-20

• First synthetic fiber and first fiber developed in U.S.

• Inventor was Wallace Carothers –chemist working for Dupont Company in 1928 (research program)

• Generic name NYLON was proposed in 1938 by Dupont

• First nylon product a nylon bristle toothbrush which went on sale on Feb. 24, 1938

• Women’s stockings went on sale on May 15, 1940

• became unavailable to civilian consumers, because nylon was used extensively during WW II (1939-1945)

• During WW II Nylon replaced Asian silk in parachutes

• Also used to make tires, tents, ropes, ponchos and other military supplies

• Could be heat-set and permanent pleats became a reality

Grain in Fabric 11/28

• effects the way fabric will hang and drape

• refers to the way threads are arranged in a piece of fabric

• Lengthwise grain runs parallel to the selvage-strongest and most stable

• Crosswise grain runs perpendicular to the selvege of the fabric or the cut edge of the fabric as it comes off the bolt.

• Bias grain runs on a 45 degree angle to the selvage

Muslin 11/29

• A firm, medium-weight to heavyweight plain weave fabric made in a variety of qualities

• Can be unbleached or white

• Widths of 36”, 45”, 90” and 108”

NYLON 12/2

ADVANTAGES

• Strong and Elastic• Easy to launder• Dries quickly• Retains its shape• Resilient and responsive

to heat setting• Resistant to damage from

oils

DISADVANTAGES

• Extensive washing and drying in a dryer can lead to piling

• White Nylon should be washed separately to avoid it turning gray

• Has a tendency to “Scavenge” colors picking up surface color easily from other fabrics

POLYESTER 12/7

• English researchers experimented and manufactured polyester fibers called Terylene

• Introduced to U.S. in 1951 under name of Dacron

• Dupont bought the English patent and started manufactured polyester in March 1953

• Often referred to as the workhorse fiber of the industry

• most widely used synthetic fiber in U.S.

• Used alone or blended with other fibers

• Used for apparel and furnishings

• First use of polyester filament fibers was in knit shirts for men and boluses for women

POLYESTER 12/8Advantages

• Good strength• Wrinkle resistant • Mildew resistant • Retains heat-set pleats and

crease • Resistant to stretching and

shrinking• Easily washed –quick drying• Polyester is extensively

recycled-products made from recycled polyester include apparel and carpeting

Disadvantages

• Lack absorption• Consumers like recycled

polyester, but the cost is usually higher

Jacquard Weave 12/12

• Requires an intricate series of hole-punched cards that tell the machine which threads to raise and which threads to drop.

• produce patterned fabrics.• costly because it involves

more time and skill in making the Jacquard cards to produce new pattern

• Damask , brocades

tapestries

Filament 12/13

• Refers to fibers that are extremely long

• Made from long, continuous strands of fiber

• Made from manufactured fibers

• Only natural filament is silk

Staple Fiber

• Any natural or manufactured fiber produced in or cut to a short length measured in inches or centimeters

cut crimped

Filament and Staple

Lyocel

• Development was prompted in part by concerns about rayon’s negative impact on the environment

• Made from wood pulp and spun into a solvent bath

• Properties are more like those of cotton that any other regenerated fiber

• Developed by Courtlands, a European fiber manufacturer

• First produced under brand name Tencel